1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tonneau cover apparatus for an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many automobiles such as station wagons have a tonneau cover apparatus which covers a baggage compartment.
Specifically, a tonneau cover apparatus for a passenger car must satisfy, for example, the following requirements.
(1) As the tonneau cover is not always necessary, it must be able to be stored compact when not in use.
(2) The tonneau cover must be able to be handled easily when it is stored or used.
(3) The tonneau cover must not degrade the automobile design.
(4) The tonneau cover apparatus itself must also be detached/attached easily.
Currently, a tonneau cover apparatus is widely known which includes a take-up device for automatically taking up a cover sheet when it is not in use and from which the cover sheet can be pulled out when it is to be used. This can satisfy the requirement of item (1).
In a state in which the tonneau cover covers the baggage compartment, if the user wishes to open the tail gate and access baggage in the baggage compartment through a baggage compartment opening, he needs to perform operation of disengaging the cover distal end and storing the tonneau cover in the take-up device. This operation is sometimes cumbersome. In addition, after accessing the baggage, if the user wishes to cover the baggage compartment with the tonneau cover again, he must incline forward, sometimes enter the baggage compartment, reach the take-up device at the front portion of the baggage compartment, and pull out the cover distal end. This doubles the cumbersomeness. That is to say, the operability of item (2) has room for improvement.
Japanese Patent No. 3,613,581 (to be referred to as “patent reference 1” hereinafter) discloses an arrangement that solves the above problem directly. More specifically, FIG. 1 of patent reference 1 discloses a mechanism including a lever 28. The lever 28 has one end supported by a side wall 4 through a hinge 29 and the other end which receives a pin 26 at a cover distal end. A blind sheet 17 is raised/lowered by turning the lever 28. FIGS. 2 to 4 disclose a mechanism in which a guide rail 35 is formed at a side edge 12 of a rear opening 7. When a tail gate 8 is opened/closed, the distal end of the blind sheet 17 moves along the guide rail 35. FIG. 5 discloses an arrangement in which a groove 43 is formed in the side edge 12 of a rear opening 7. The distal end of the blind sheet 17 slides along the groove 43. According to these arrangements, the user can access a baggage compartment 2 without restoring the blind sheet 17 in a housing 16, and can easily cover the baggage compartment 2 with the blind sheet 17 after accessing the baggage compartment 2.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-104849 (to be referred to as “patent reference 2” hereinafter) discloses an example including at least two cover sheets that can be taken up simultaneously by a take-up device. The distal ends of the cover sheets are locked at various positions including the ceiling. This disclosure suggests an arrangement in which the user can access baggage in the baggage compartment without taking up a tonneau cover entirely by the take-up device.
However, neither one of the arrangements disclosed in patent references 1 and 2 considers the design referred to in the above item (3). The presence of the lever 28, guide rail 35, groove 43, and the like in patent reference 1 may undesirably degrade the interior design of the baggage compartment. In patent reference 2, although the distal ends of the cover sheets can be locked at various positions, a rail that is not necessarily used often is always seen when the rear gate is closed. This degrades the appearance.
In patent references 1 and 2, the guide portion of the cover sheet distal end is arranged in the automobile. Hence, the shape and design of the passenger compartment such as the ceiling position and the inclination of the inner wall limit the range of the guide portion. This makes it difficult to form a sufficiently high guide portion. The guide portion can be formed of a trim. In this case, however, the appearance of the trim is degraded, and function structures and the like such as a shock absorbing rim are difficult to design. When the guide portion is formed as a separate member, the number of components increases, the location to set the guide portion is difficult to ensure, and the appearance is degraded. The guide portion must be formed by considering these factors.
A conventional tonneau cover apparatus cannot be attached or detached easily. For example, when removing the tonneau cover apparatus, the user releases it and after that pulls it out almost horizontally toward the baggage compartment opening. As the tonneau cover apparatus is generally as wide as possible in the direction of the automobile width, the end of the apparatus tends to abut against the baggage compartment side wall and the like. To avoid this, the user must pull out the tonneau cover apparatus obliquely. This operation is thus not easy.
According to patent reference 1, the mechanism which guides the vertical movement of the cover sheet distal end is formed on the automobile inner surface. Hence, the horizontal movement of the tonneau cover apparatus is regulated at the baggage compartment opening. This makes it further cumbersome to attach or detach the tonneau cover apparatus to or from the baggage compartment.